Communication portable terminal device

ABSTRACT

It is an object of the invention to emit a light in order to brighten a large area by a single light source. The invention provides a communication portable terminal device including a single LED ( 51 ) disposed in an upper housing ( 1 ) and a light emitting panel ( 4 ) disposed on the upper housing ( 1 ) for emitting a light like a plane by a light emitted from the LED ( 51 ), the light emitting panel ( 4 ) including a light transmitting member ( 40 ) having an incident plane ( 42 ) on which the light emitted from the LED ( 51 ) is incident and a light emitting plane ( 44 ) for emitting a light like a plane by the light emitted from the LED ( 51 ), and a reflecting film ( 41 ) and a print film ( 43 ) provided on a surface and a back face of the light transmitting member ( 40 ) for reflecting the light emitted from the LED ( 51 ) and incident on the incident plane ( 42 ) of the light transmitting member ( 40 ) many times between the surface and the back face, thereby guiding the light to the light emitting plane ( 44 ).

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a communication portable terminaldevice, and more particularly to a communication portable terminaldevice capable of giving a notice that there is a call from a callingdestination or an incoming call of a mail through a light emission in awide area.

BACKGROUND ART

In a cell phone, as is well known, it is possible to inform a user thatthere is a call from a calling destination or an incoming call of a mailthrough a ring or a ringer tone. However, it is not preferable to make asound depending on a place of use. For this reason, a cell phone forgiving a notice of a call and an incoming call through a vibration (avibrator) in place of a sound has also spread widely.

Moreover, there has also been known a cell phone including a lightemitting unit having a light source in order to give a notice of a calland an incoming call through a light in place of the sound and thevibration. In particular, the notice of the call and the incoming callthrough the light emitting operation is useful for the case of autilization in a place in which it is not preferable to make a sound anda utilization of a user having such a disorder that a sound is caughtwith difficulty or cannot be caught.

In the case in which a light source such as an LED is usually utilizedto cause a light emitting unit to emit a light, for example, there areknown a method of providing a small light emitting unit in a part of ahousing to emit a light and a method of utilizing a partial limitedlocal region in a display unit for displaying information such as an LCDto emit a light therefrom (for example, see JP-A-2000-98105).

In some cases in which a small light emitting unit is provided to emit alight from a small area in the former method, for example, it is hard tovisually recognize the emission of the light. There is also apossibility that the light emitting operation might be known with adelay and a phone might be thus hung up before a response to a call froma partner or a calling state might be missed, resulting in a failure incalling.

On the other hand, in some cases in which the type for causing thedisplay unit to emit a light in the latter method has such a structureas to cause a part of the display unit to locally emit a light, it ishard to visually know the call in the same manner as in the former case.

Under the circumstances, it is possible to propose that a light emittingunit having a large light emitting area is disposed. In the case inwhich the light emitting unit has a large area, however, it is hard toobtain a sufficient amount of a light emitted in a light emittingoperation to be carried out by one light source (LED). When a light isto be emitted in the large area, therefore, the amount of the light isreduced in a distant region from the LED and the same region becomesdark, and the emission of the light can be recognized clearly in only aclose region to the LED. For this reason, an advantage cannot beobtained even if a light emitting area is increased. By disposing aplurality of light sources (LEDs), therefore, it is possible to cause awhole light emitting unit having a large area to emit a light in asufficient amount. Corresponding to the use of the light sources,however, a built-in battery is consumed greatly with an increase in aconsumed power. As a result, a period for which a cell phone can be usedby one charging operation is reduced and a complicated charging work isto be often carried out in some cases.

In consideration of the circumstances, therefore, it is an object of theinvention to provide a communication portable terminal device capable ofemitting a light to brighten a large area by a single light source.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

First of all, a communication portable terminal device according to theinvention comprises a single light source disposed in a housing and alight guiding panel disposed in the housing for guiding a light from thelight source, the light guiding panel including a light transmittingmember taking a shape of an almost plate having an incident portionprovided on a back face on which the light emitted from the light sourceis incident and an emitting portion provided on a front face from whichthe light transmitted from the light source is emitted, and reflectingunits provided on both of the surface and the back face of the lighttransmitting member for reflecting the light emitted from the lightsource and incident on the incident portion plural times and guiding thelight to the emitting portion.

Accordingly, the light emitted from the light source which istransmitted through the inner part of the light transmitting member isrepetitively reflected continuously plural times between the reflectingunits provided on both of the front face and the back face of the lighttransmitting member without causing a phenomenon such as a leakage to anoutside, an attenuation or an absorption. Consequently, the light can bepropagated to the light emitting unit so that the light emitting unitcan be caused to carry out a surface emission.

Secondly, the communication portable terminal device according to theinvention is characterized in that the reflecting unit on the back faceside includes a reflecting print portion having a peculiar color in ahigh reflectance on the back face side of the light transmitting member.

Accordingly, it is possible to form the reflecting units by a simplemethod through printing. Consequently, a manufacturing cost can bereduced. In addition, if the reflecting unit has a high reflectance,various colors can be selected. By combining the print color and a colorof the light emitted from the light source, therefore, it is alsopossible to form various mixed colors, thereby causing the lightemitting unit to carry out the surface emission.

Thirdly, the communication portable terminal device according to theinvention is characterized in that the incident portion is formed in acurved concave on the back face of the light transmitting memberarranged just above the light source.

Accordingly, the light emitted from the light source can be fetched(incident) at an almost equal rate in various directions through theincident portion of the light transmitting member. Consequently, it ispossible to implement a uniform surface emission in the light emittingunit without emitting a light partially to only a part of the lightemitting unit.

Fourthly, the communication portable terminal device according theinvention is characterized in that the housing has such a foldablestructure as to include an upper housing having a liquid crystal displayunit provided on an inner side surface and a lower housing having anoperating key provided on an opposed inner side surface to the innerside surface of the upper housing when the lower housing and the upperhousings are set in a closing state, the lower housing being rotatablycoupled to the upper housing through a hinge portion, and the lightguiding panel is disposed on an outer side surface which is opposite tothe inner side surface of the upper housing and the emitting portion onthe front face faces an outside.

In a structure in which the liquid crystal display unit is not exposedto an outside with the housing portion of a folding type folded and apart of the liquid crystal display unit is caused to locally emit alight, consequently, it has conventionally been necessary to carry out awork for confirming an incoming call in a state in which the housing isopened. In the invention, however, the light emitting unit is exposed tothe outside also in the state in which the housing is folded. Therefore,it is possible to confirm the light emitting state of the light emittingunit in the folding state.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a part (an upper housing) of a cell phoneof a folding type according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the upper housing of the cell phoneillustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a main part of the upperhousing of the cell phone illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a state in which a display unitincluding a light emitting unit for propagating a light from a lightsource and emitting a light and a printed circuit board are disposed inthe upper housing of the cell phone of the folding type according to theembodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing an optical path in which a lightadvances when the light emitted from the light source is propagated anda light 5 is emitted in a light transmitting member of the lightemitting unit illustrated in FIG. 4.

In the drawings, 1 denotes an upper housing, 11 denotes an inner case,12 denotes an outer case, 12A denotes a hole for emitting a panelilluminating light, 12B denotes a communicating window for an infraredlo communicating light, 12C denotes a photographing window for a camera,2 denotes a liquid crystal display unit, 20 denotes an LCD body, 21denotes a backlight unit, 22 denotes a liquid crystal holder, 23 denotesa liquid crystal panel, 3 denotes a printed circuit board, 4 denotes alight emitting panel, 40 denotes a light transmitting member (lightguiding unit), 41 denotes a reflecting 5 film (one of reflecting units),42 denotes an incident plane (incident portion), 43 denotes a print film(the other reflecting unit), 44 denotes a light emitting plane, 45denotes a V shaped groove, 51 denotes an LED (light source), 52 denotesan IrDA, 53 denotes a camera, 54 denotes a speaker (receiver), 55denotes a vibrator, H denotes a hinge portion, R1 denotes a centralelliptic region of the 2 0 light transmitting member 40, R2 denotes aperipheral elliptic region of the light transmitting member 40, S1denotes a surface of the light transmitting member 40, and S2 denotes aback face of the light transmitting member 40.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the invention will be described below in detail withreference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a cell phone of a folding type according to the embodimentof the invention. The cell phone has such a structure that a housingportion includes an upper housing 1 provided with a liquid crystaldisplay unit 2 (see FIG. 4) on one surface which is not shown (whichwill be hereinafter referred to as an inner side surface), a lowerhousing provided with an operating key on one surface which is not shown(which will be hereinafter referred to as an inner side surface), and ahinge portion H for rotatably coupling these housings to each other.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the upper housing i has a schematic structureas to include an inner case 11 (corresponding to an opposed portion to alower housing when the upper and lower housings 1 are folded andclosed), an outer case 12, and a light emitting panel 4 to be fixed tothe outer case 12, and the inner case 11 and the outer case 12 arebonded and integrated in a state in which their opening portions areclosed together. The liquid crystal display unit 2 is assembledintegrally with the inner case 11, and furthermore, a printed circuitboard 3 is fixed to the liquid crystal display unit 2.

The inner case 11 is formed to take an almost square thin box type (orshallow dish type) by a proper molding method, for example, injectionmolding by using a thermoplastic resin material obtained by adding andmixing an appropriate additive such as polycarbonate or a moldingmaterial formed by a resin or a metal such as polycarbonate, ABS ormagnesium, and one of surfaces is opened so as to be bonded to the outercase 12. Moreover, the inner case 11 is provided with an opening portionin which a central part of an opposed surface to an LCD body 20 of theliquid crystal display unit 2 to be described below (a lower surface inFIG. 4) is opened greatly, and a liquid crystal panel 23 is attached tothe opening portion.

On the other hand, the outer case 12 is formed to take a shape of thesame almost square thin box type (or shallow dish type) through a propermolding method by using a thermoplastic resin material such aspolycarbonate or ABS, and the outer case 12 having one of surfacesopened is used in the same manner as the inner case 11 so as to bebonded to the inner case 11.

As shown in FIG. 4, the liquid crystal (LCD) display unit 2 includes theLCD body 20, a backlight unit 21, a liquid crystal holder 22 for holdingthem, and the liquid crystal panel 23. The LCD body 20, the backlightunit 21 and the liquid crystal holder 22 are integrated with the innercase 11.

The printed circuit board 3 is fixedly provided on a back face of theliquid crystal holder 22 as shown in FIG. 4. An LED (a light emittingdiode) 51 to be a light source, an IrDA (infrared data communication)52, a camera 53, a speaker (a receiver) 54 and a vibrator 55 are mountedon the printed circuit board 3 in addition to various electroniccomponents as shown in FIG. 3.

The LED 51 serves to emit a light having a predetermined wavelength (

) and the light emitting operation of the light emitting panel 4 iscarried out by only one LED 51. The light emitting operation of the LED51 is controlled by a control portion (not shown) connected to the LED51. The LED 51 emits a light in a predetermined mode, for example, in atelephone call from a partner and an incoming call of a mail, or atelephone call to a transmitting partner and a transmission of a mail,and furthermore, a photographing operation of the camera.

As shown in FIG. 3, the outer case 12 for covering these mountedcomponents is provided with a hole 12A for emitting a panel illuminatinglight, a communicating window 12B for an infrared communicating lightand a photographing window 12C for the camera in correspondingpositions, respectively.

The light emitting panel 4 serves to cause a wide and large lightemitting region to emit a light like a plane and to give a notice of anincoming call state to a user in the incoming call, and is fixed to theouter case 12 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The light emitting panel 4constitutes a light transmitting member 40 (constituting a light guidingunit) by using a transparent material having a shape of a thin plate,for example, a shape of an almost thin ellipse, for example, a basematerial such as PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate). A region (a centralelliptic region) R1 within a constant range from a central part on asurface S1 side (corresponding to an upper surface in FIG. 4) of thelight transmitting member 40 constitutes a mirror finished surface forreflecting a light from an inner part.

On the other hand, a wider and larger region (peripheral ellipticregion) R2 on the outside of the central elliptic region R1 on thesurface S1 side of the light transmitting member 40 constitutes a lightemitting plane 44 capable of wholly emitting a light from the LED 51.The surface S1 of the light emitting panel 4 is provided with a V shapedgroove 45 having a V-shaped section like an elliptical circle (like aring) along a boundary portion of the central elliptic region R1 and theperipheral elliptic region R2, and a peripheral edge portion of themirror finished surface (the central elliptic region R1) can be thusenhanced brightly.

Moreover, the light transmitting member 40 of the light emitting panel 4is subjected to mirror-like finishing by forming a reflecting film 41(constituting one of reflecting units) in the central elliptic region R1on the surface S1 side (corresponding to the upper surface in FIG. 4) byusing a material such as aluminum as shown in FIG. 4. In the centralelliptic region R1, consequently, a light incident from the LED 51 intothe light transmitting member 40 is prevented from leaking out in thecentral elliptic region R1, and at the same time, is reflected manytimes together with a print film 43 which will be described below sothat the same light can be propagated to the light emitting plane(peripheral elliptic region R2) 44. It is possible to easily form thereflecting film 41 by so-called insert molding in which a film having areflecting film applied and formed thereon is previously set into acavity of a mold and is molded integrally with the light transmittingmember 40 in the case in which the light transmitting member 40 is to beformed by injection molding.

On the other hand, in a central part on a back face S2 side(corresponding to a lower surface in FIG. 4) to be an opposite surfaceto the surface S1 side in the light transmitting member 40, an incidentplane (an incident portion) 42 curved like a dome-shaped concave portionis formed in order to cause the light emitted from the LED 51 providedthereunder to be incident as evenly as possible in all directions in thelight transmitting member 40. Referring to the curved shape of theincident plane 42 or a curvature thereof, various shapes or curvaturevalues can be selected properly. However, they may be determinedcorresponding to an emitted light amount (light intensity) distribution(for example, a Gauss (normal) distribution) of the LED 51 to be a lightsource.

Furthermore, the light transmitting member 40 is provided with the printfilm 43 (constituting the other reflecting unit) printed to have a whitecolor in a high reflectance in order to repetitively reflect the lightincident from the LED 51 over almost the whole surface on the back faceS2 side excluding the incident plane 42 many times (multiple reflection)together with the reflecting film 41 on the surface S1 side (see FIG.5), and at the same time, to propagate the light in the lighttransmitting member 40, and to emit the light from the peripheralelliptic region R2 on the surface S1 side in a surface emitting statewhich is as uniform as possible. The print film 43 may be provided overthe whole surface on the back face S2 side, and furthermore, may beformed on an edge portion side thereof, that is, in an end face portion.

While the print film 43 has such a structure as to be particularlycolored to be white, thereby increasing the reflectance as greatly aspossible, the color is not limited to the white but any color capable ofsuppressing an absorption to increase the reflectance as greatly aspossible may be used. In order to implement a uniform surface emittingstate in the light emitting plane 44 to be the peripheral ellipticregion R2 on the surface S1 side, moreover, it is also possible to carryout a fine concavo-convex processing in the back face S2 portion of thelight transmitting member 40 in which the print film 43 is to be formedand to laminate and print the print film 43 on the concavo-convexportion.

Moreover, it is also possible to provide a dielectric multilayer film tobe a reflecting member having a high wavelength (

) dependency which reflects a light emitted from a light source at avery high reflectance in place of the reflecting film 41 on the surfaceS1 side of the light transmitting member 40 (or as a lower film of thereflecting film (mirror finished surface reflecting portion) 41).Furthermore, the print film 43 on the back S2 side may be constituted bya dielectric multilayer film in place of the white printing. With such astructure, a light incident on the light transmitting member 40 from thelight source and sent forward is not absorbed at all on both of thesurface and back face of the light transmitting member 40. Therefore,the light can be efficiently reflected and transmitted to the peripheralelliptic region R2, and the light emitted from the LED 51 can also beefficiently emitted from the light emitting plane 44 in a highilluminance.

Next, description will be given to the function of the embodiment.

The LED 51 emits a light in a phone call from a partner and an incomingcall of a mail or a phone call to a transmitting partner or atransmission of a mail, and furthermore, a photographing operation ofthe camera.

Consequently, a light emitted from the LED 51 (for example, a bluelight) is projected toward the dome-shaped incident plane 42 of thelight transmitting member 40. The light sent toward the incident plane42 is incident with a refraction on an interface of the incident plane42 and advances into the light transmitting member 40. A light advancingfrom the LED 51 toward the central part of the incident plane 42straight and upward is exactly incident into the light transmittingmember 40 without a refraction on the interface.

The light emitted from the LED 51 and thus incident on the lighttransmitting member 40 is (regularly) reflected on the interface withthe reflecting film 41 on the surface S1 side (an upper surface in FIG.5) of the light transmitting member 40, and furthermore, the light thusreflected gradually advances in the direction of the end of the lighttransmitting member 40 (a perpendicular direction to a thicknessdirection: a transverse direction in FIG. 5) with a (regular) reflectionon the interface with the print film 43 on the back S2 side (a lowersurface in FIG. 5) of the light transmitting member 40.

When reaching the peripheral elliptic region R2 having no reflectingfilm 41 from the central elliptic region R1 on the surface S1 side ofthe light transmitting member 40, the light advancing in the lighttransmitting member 40 is emitted outward from the light emitting plane44 of the surface S1 (the upper surface) of the light transmittingmember 40. More specifically, the light emitted from the LED 51 andincident on the light transmitting member 40 does not leak in thecentral elliptic region R1 but is entirely emitted from the lightemitting plane 44 and the V shaped groove 45 which constitute theperipheral elliptic region R2. Therefore, the light is emitted from thelight emitting plane 44 and the V shaped groove 45 without a reductionin the amount of the light of the LED 51.

According to the embodiment, therefore, when there is a phone call froma partner or an incoming call of a mail with the housing folded, thelight emitting plane 44 of the light emitting panel 4 is caused to emita light. Consequently, the light emitting panel 4 has a large contour,and furthermore, the light is emitted without a reduction in the amountof the light. Thus, the contour can be made clear so that everybody canvisually recognize that there is the incoming call reliably.

While the cell phone is constituted by the folding type in which thehousing has the upper housing 1 and the lower housing (not shown)coupled to each other through the hinge portion which is not shown inthe embodiment, the housing according to the invention may beconstituted by a bar-shaped type in which a display unit and anoperating unit are provided in one housing if there is a space capableof maintaining a light emitting unit to be large. Moreover, theinvention is not restricted to the cell phone according to theseembodiments but can be applied to various communication portableterminal devices, and it is possible to emit a light in order tobrighten a distant region from a light source by a single light sourcewithout requiring a plurality of light sources. Consequently, theconsumed power of a battery can also be minimized, which isadvantageous.

While the invention has been described in detail with reference to thespecific embodiment, moreover, it is apparent to the skilled in the artthat various changes and modifications can be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The communication portable terminal device according to the inventionhas such an advantage that a light can be emitted to brighten a largearea by a single light source, and particularly, is useful for acommunication portable terminal device for giving a notice of anincoming call by a light emitting operation.

1. A communication portable terminal device, comprising: a light source,disposed in a housing; and a light guiding panel, disposed in thehousing for guiding a light from the light source, wherein the lightguiding panel includes: a light transmitting member that has: anincident portion on which the light emitted from the light source isincident, and provided on a back face of the light guiding panel, andhaving an almost plate like shape; and an emitting portion from whichthe light transmitted from the fight source is emitted, and provided ona front face of the light transmitting member; and reflecting unitsprovided on both of the front face and the back face of the lighttransmitting member for reflecting the light emitted from the lightsource and incident on the incident portion plural times and guiding thelight to the emitting portion.
 2. The communication portable terminaldevice according to claim 1, wherein the reflecting unit on the backface side includes a reflecting print portion having a peculiar color ina high reflectance on the back face side of the light transmittingmember.
 3. The communication portable terminal device according to claim1, wherein the incident portion is formed in a curved concave on theback face of the light transmitting member arranged just above the lightsource.
 4. The communication portable terminal device according to claim1, wherein a V-shaped groove is provided at a boundary on surfaces of areflecting member disposed on a surface in an almost center of the lighttransmitting member, and the light transmitting member.
 5. Thecommunication portable terminal device according to claim 1, wherein thehousing that comprises a foldable structure, and includes: an upperhousing having a liquid crystal display unit on an inner side surfacethereof; and a lower housing having an operating key provided on aninner side surface thereof opposed to the inner side surface of theupper housing when the upper housing and the lower housing are set in aclosing state, the lower housing being rotatably coupled to the upperhousing through a hinge portion; and wherein the light guiding panel isdisposed on an outer side face that is 20 opposite to the inner sidesurface of the upper housing, and the emitting portion on the front facefaces an outside.